Qatari PM’s adviser defends fund transfers to Gaza, says Israeli officials who asked for it now accuse Doha of funding Hamas

A Qatari official defends his country’s transfer of money to Gaza ahead of October 7, and argues that it was done at the behest of some Israeli officials who are now saying the money helped arm Hamas.

Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, the Qatari prime minister’s adviser, tells the Kan public broadcaster that the aid aimed to allow Gazans to “live naturally” and that “prosperity is the only way to get out of the cycle of violence.”

“But let me tell you very clearly, all of that aid was part of a mechanism that included complete Israeli oversight, complete Israeli vetting, even if the families received $100 of aid through this process,” he says.

Ansari continues to say that Doha is “appalled” that officials who approached Qatar for the money are now accusing it of sending money directly to Hamas, adding that the money was sent through Israel into Gaza.

“The aid that went in also went in with oversight from international organizations, and there was a clear vetting process for all the families, and there was a clear reporting back mechanism to the Israeli agencies,” he says.

“And therefore, there were the checkpoints and the guarantees in place to make sure that none of that money went anywhere else. This was done for humanitarian reasons. And the lack of peace and security that we have here today is not a result of sending aid to the people of Gaza. It’s a result of the lack of commitment to peace from both sides,” he says.